POTSDAM -- Republican Nicholas Pignone, attorney and former Potsdam village court justice, says he wants to build on the recent accomplishments of the St. Lawrence County legislators.

He is facing Democrat David Haggard for the District 10 seat currently held by Joe Timmerman.

He says the county needs to take an active role in fighting the opioid and heroin epidemic, reduce governmental redundancies and believes his experience as an attorney can help achieve these goals.

Pignone says he wants to be “a part of the positive progress” the county has made in recent years in climbing out of a financial hole. “Over the last four years, the current Board really took the fiscal reins and brought us back into financial soundness. Certainly, it was a very difficult task and some hard choices were made.”

He says he is paid to make good decisions for clients, and he can do the same on the county board.

Pignone would focus on the effects of drugs – “heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine and methamphetamines” -- on the people of the county, not only as personal and family tragedies but also as a drain on county resources such as funding for foster care, medical expenses, and legal costs.

“Considering this process could go on for years, I firmly believe the issue of addiction needs to be viewed as the number one priority,” he said.

Pignone says he will support “sound investments” and “efficient management” in county government.

“Economic growth and achievements are, I believe, best achieved through efficient management,” he said.

He cited the example of proposals from the People Project. That is an effort begun in the county in 2017 to combine local endeavors and reduce redundancy in developing programs for travel and tourism, health and wellness in the community, and schools, among other ideas.

He particularly favors the idea of “an individual coordinator ... in place to oversee the other coordinators of our county to ensure the best use of funds.”

Pignone points to his experience as a certified mediator and his work on budgets and other administrative duties as a member of the board of directors of the Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York and the board of the Potsdam Co-op “makes me better qualified than my opponent to serve the people of St. Lawrence County.”

As a major point of policy, Pignone says that he would concentrate on youth development, which he believes “perhaps more than ever it is a very challenging issue.”

He expressed thanks to the organizers of the North Country Children’s Museum in Potsdam, and said that the “wonderful momentum needs to be kept going.

“With the challenge of teens and screens we have today, a community center with programs geared toward adolescents would be a welcomed addition to our community.

“If elected, I promise to work toward creating opportunities that will improve the quality of life for teens,” Pignone said.